4th - 6th century Silla Dynasty armor discovered in Hwango-dong

From paintings, researchers know about the armor worn by Silla Dynasty cavalrymen, but now they will be able to study it first hand. The remains of a set of armor, dating from sometime between the fourth and sixth centuries, has been discovered in an ancient tomb in the Jjoksaem District of Hwango-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang. (photos, diagrams)

The armor, now on display, includes several complete sets of scale and barding for horses. “This is the first time in East Asia that such complete sets of the armor of the heavily armed cavalrymen have been found,” Lee Geon-mu, the chief of the Cultural Heritage Administration, said. “It’s also the first evidence of the existence of the Silla cavalrymen.”